The Ruth Holmberg Arts Leadership Award was created nine years ago to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts in Chattanooga and who are actively engaged in the cultural life of our community — so-called “arts builders'' who exemplify ArtsBuild’s mission to build a stronger community through the arts.
The award is named in memory of Ruth Holmberg, an iconic local business and civic leader and philanthropist for the arts and other causes during her life. ArtsBuild’s Board of Directors is pleased to recognize four individuals with this prestigious honor in 2023.
Dr. Roland Carter is a leading figure in the choral arts and his accomplishments include lectures, workshops, master classes, and directing concerts with major choruses and orchestras in prestigious venues nationwide. He is especially noted as an authority on the performance and preservation of music of African American traditions and composers. Born in Chattanooga, he has a distinguished record of commitment and service to the arts, both locally and regionally.
Vincent Oakes is entering his twentieth year as Artistic Director of the Chattanooga Boys Choir, a group which includes over 120 choristers aged 8‐18 in five ensembles and has performed and toured extensively. He is also the Director of Choral Music at The Baylor School. He has received numerous awards for teaching and service. An advocate for arts education, choral and community partnerships, Vincent has founded several regional arts initiatives.
Peggy Wood Townsend has had a long career and extensive volunteer service in the arts in Chattanooga. She was the first full-time director of the local nonprofit, the Association for Visual Artists. She oversaw the creation of the city’s first public art plan and served ten years as director of Public Art Chattanooga. She and her husband Stan Townsend own Townsend Atelier, an independent visual art school in downtown Chattanooga.
Stan Townsend is an accomplished working artist. He was Assistant Director of the Hunter Museum of American Art and taught art there, as well as UTC and Chattanooga State, promoting and encouraging students to pursue careers as artists. Stan’s work has been integral to Chattanooga’s intentional efforts to include the arts at the forefront of community revitalization projects in the city since the 1990s.
“Chattanooga is blessed to have generous and visionary leaders who understand the many ways that the arts define our culture, support our youth, and enhance our economy,” says Board Chairwoman Rowena Belcher. “We are honored to recognize these exceptional community members this year and can’t wait to celebrate their many contributions.”
The Holmberg Awards will be presented as part of ArtsBuild’s inaugural InterMission, a fundraising event and celebration of Chattanooga’s arts community, benefiting ArtsBuild's support of local arts organizations and programming as well as field trips for Hamilton County Schools students. The event will be held on Thursday, September 14 at 8:00 p.m. at the Roland Hayes Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Star of stage and screen Alan Cumming will be the featured guest at InterMission, where he will join local community leader and arts advocate Nicole Brown for a candid conversation about the impact of the arts on his life. Local artists and arts organizations, including dancers from CHA Ballet, musicians from the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, Lon Eldridge, Emily Kate Boyd, Monica Ellison, Cherokee-Aaron Ellison, Iantha Newton, Charlie Newton, and Scenic City Shakespeare will serve as a living showcase of Chattanooga’s arts community before and during the event.
“InterMission is going to be a celebration of the arts in our city, which means there are going to be plenty of surprises,” says Miles Huff, the event’s co-chair. “What we do know for certain is that you won’t want to miss a single second.”
The public can support the arts by donating to ArtsBuild’s 2023 Annual Campaign at ArtsBuild.com/donate and attending InterMission featuring Alan Cumming and the Ruth Holmberg Arts Leadership Award honorees on September 14, 2023. Tickets for the fundraiser are on sale now for $125. Learn more at ArtsBuild.com/intermission. A limited number of VIP tickets which include a meet & greet reception with Alan Cumming can still be purchased for $250 by contacting Kathryn Wroth at kathryn@artsbuild.com.